Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, the Roman Colosseum is oftentimes directly associated with the death of Christians; however, as … More
Category: Labor and Work
Deus Ex Machina: Depicting Cranes and Pulleys in the Ancient World
Within ancient theater, the phrase ‘deus ex machina‘ actually referred to a crane called a μηχανή (the Greek term from … More
Labeling Ancient and Modern Slavery within Museums
Over at Hyperallergic this week, I had an essay come out that was about four months in the making. It … More
Purple, Indigo, And The Slave Labor That Produced Expensive Dyes
Those who read this blog are keenly aware of how much I think about and study color. This certainly extends … More
Pass the Dormice: Breeding, Selling, And Eating Honeyed Dormice in Antiquity
Ponticuli etiamferruminati sustinebant glires melle ac papavere sparsos. “There were also dormice rolled in honey and poppy-seed, and supported on … More
From Dissertation to Book: A Few Things I Learned Over the Past 10 Years
I don’t tend to get overly personal on this blog very often. Although I adore social media (clearly), the first person … More
‘Pass Me A Cold One’: A Short History Of Refrigerating Wine And Beer
Over on my Forbes blog, I have been writing about the history of iced beverages, particularly wine and beer. As … More
Monumental Mausolea: Building Projects and Slave Labor from Antiquity to the World Cup
When excited ticket holders enter the various sports venues erected in Qatar for the World Cup in 2022, they will … More
